Utopia in California

Utopia in California was an 1888 alternate history book that was written by C.T. Williams, a liberal writer from the US state of California. The book, set in the late 19th century, describes the communist-led "Second American Revolution" of 1888 and the rise of the "American People's Republic" as a proletarian dictatorship. The APR, as it is known, releases several functional regions as independent states, including California, which becomes a communist puppet state. However, the book sees California transition into a liberal democracy due to the prevalence of free elections in the country, and California fights to reconquer all of its original territory from the tyrannical APR. The book was seen as an attack on communism and socialism by moderate liberals, and it fit with the ideas expressed by many authors during the Progressive Era; while many supported social change in America, many were unaware of the potential threats of communism.

Second American Revolution
In 1887, following years of socialist and communist agitation, rebellions break out across the United States. Anarchist, socialist, communist, and reactionary rebels rise up across the country to overthrow the ruling US Democratic Party, which sends the US Army's largest troop deployments to crush them. Tens of thousands of leftist rebels are killed as the government attempts to crush the uprising, but the public grows tired of the new civil war as more and more average Americans are killed. On 20 October 1888, the communists enforce their demands, creating the new "American People's Republic" (APR). This republic takes away the right to vote, makes the communists the only legal party, bans meetings, institutes a state press, controls labor unions, limits newspapers to underground publications, and begins the nationalization of all businesses in the country. The proletarian dictatorship is home to 9,540,000 American people, and the country flexes its military muscles by crushing the non-communist rebels. In 1889, the United States invades neighboring Mexico and creates a proletarian dictatorship after the short "Second Mexican-American War", installing communism in Mexico as well.

The Dis-united States
In May 1890, the APR decides to release the nations of New England, Deseret, Texas, Oklahoma, and California as communist puppet states. On 14 May 1890, the Californian Republic's proletarian dictatorship ultimately decides to become a democracy, allowing free elections. 46.4% of the population supports the conservative Democratic Party, 47.2% supports the liberal Progressive Party, and 6.4% supports the Ursine Imperialist Party; on 17 May 1890, elections begin. On 20 May, the government passes the National Banking Act, and the people of California find out that Deseret has applied for statehood in the APR on 27 June. The fiercely independent people of California decide to form an army led by Lafayette Benton, who raises 3,000 hussars in the capital of San Francisco. The people are encouraged when Texas transitions to a communist democracy on 23 August 1890 and when Oklahoma transitions to the conservative Traditionalist Party that same year. However, New England remains a communist dictatorship. On 16 November 1890, California's people decide to vote liberal, and 63.68% of the population votes Progressive; 12.12% vote Democratic, 3.20% populist (anarchist), 4.54% Ursine Imperialist (reactionary), 11.54% radical (socialist), and just 4.91% Communist. California becomes a liberal democracy, and it changes its flag to the original "bear flag".